Tonight
by Katertots
Summary: Puck left Lima, OH four years ago without saying goodbye to his girlfriend. What happens when they meet again four years later on a spring evening in New York City.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is an AU and future fic, so their characterizations might differ from those on the show. I try very hard to keep the characters IN character, but since they are older in this fic, I like to imagine that these are the people they'd grow up to be. :) Feedback=love, so please let me know what you think.

* * *

If you were to ask Noah Puckerman to describe himself in one word, _coward _wasn't the one he'd choose. In fact, _coward_ didn't even crack the top ten. As a Petty Officer in the United States Navy, he'd faced the unknown on a daily basis for the last four years, two of which had been spent deployed overseas defending his country. Cowards didn't do such things. Looking back though, it had probably been a cowardly move to leave that little cow town behind without saying goodbye. But in his eighteen year old mind, it had been the bravest and most selfless decision he'd ever made.

However, tonight was different. Tonight, as he shifted uncomfortably on the sidewalk outside the Palace Theater with his hat literally in his hands, the past and present collided together, leaving a vortex of unknown in its wake. What would she do when she laid eyes on him again? He hadn't a clue and it terrified the shit out of him. Tonight, he wanted to turn and hightail it the hell out of there.

He hadn't seen her in four years—not since the night of their high school graduation that they spent tangled in his sheets. She'd slipped into her shoes and kissed him goodbye, laughed at his attempt to pull her in for another round and wriggled free from his embrace. "_I love you, Noah Puckerman,"_ she'd said happily, fixing him with her bright, dimpled smile before fleeing into the night in order to make it home in time for curfew.

When he found out he would be in New York City for Fleet Week, he hadn't intended to go looking for her. Or at least that's what he told himself to seem less pathetic. He thought it best to leave her the hell alone, but after the twentieth poster he had seen for _West Side Story_ with her name attached, he knew if he didn't grab this opportunity now, he'd kick himself for the rest of his life. So he'd stood in line at TKTS Time Square and secured a seat to watch Rachel Berry perform.

She was magnificent as Maria—a true star, just the kind she'd always dreamed of being. Watching her shine on stage, beaming as she took a bow before the crowd of people on their feet all cheering for her, only reinforced that the decision he'd made years ago had been the right one. He just wished he didn't feel as though a vise had been strapped to his chest trying to squeeze the life out of him.

The door opened and he held his breath, letting it out again with a _whoosh_ when she wasn't in the group of people leaving the theater. His heart raced as another group of people came and went without her. He scolded himself for being such a _goddamn pussy_. He was in the Navy for fuck's sake—he shouldn't be intimidated by a five-foot-two, hundred pound spitfire.

Laughter filled the air as another group exited the theater and Puck looked up, spotted her. She had a big smile on her face and laughed heartily at something one of the other girls said as they strode down the sidewalk. He swallowed thickly and called out her name.

"Rachel Berry," he called, stopping her in her tracks as the smile fell away from her face. That voice. She'd know it anywhere. Knots formed in her stomach, breath hitched in her throat. Turning slowly, she came face to face with the boy from her past. The cute boy she'd shared so many firsts with stood before her now a wickedly handsome man, clad in his dress whites with a playful smirk twisting his lips. _Damn him_. "Noah," she said flatly, shoving down every ounce of surprise she felt from seeing him after all this time. She ignored the _hot sailor _comments from her friends and told them she'd catch up in a bit.

She was different; he'd noticed that the moment she stepped outside. The beautiful girl he'd loved in high school had blossomed into a strikingly gorgeous woman. The short black dress she wore showcased her amazing legs, made even more amazing by the high heels encasing her tiny feet. The urge to bury himself deep between those legs while she wore nothing but those heels struck him like a bolt of lightning. His fantasy was cut short when her palm connected with the side of his face, slapping him soundly. He resisted the urge to rub his face. She was tiny, but there'd been a lot of force and four years of pent up anger behind that slap.

"I guess I deserved that," he offered lamely, looking down and meeting her heated glare.

"This, too," she retorted acidly, slapping him again. She tried for a third, but his hand stopped her this time, grabbing hold of her wrist.

"That's enough, Rachel," he grumbled.

She jerked her arm free from his grasp and turned to stalk away, only to bump solidly into the muscled wall of his chest as he'd moved faster than she had. His hands came around to steady her at the elbows. The familiar scent of his cologne invaded her senses and sent her head spinning. "Let me go. I have nothing to say to you, Noah Puckerman."

"Rachel Berry has nothing to say?" he inquired, aghast. "That's a first." He offered her a half smile and tightened his grip when she tried to wiggle free, fearing she would run. The look in her coffee colored eyes could only be termed murderous. He held her stare, determined to see past this wall she'd put up, catching a flicker of sadness before she caved first and averted her eyes.

"Let go of me," she whispered sadly. She couldn't think while he was touching her and she mulled over the fact that she never had been, nor would she probably ever be, able to think while he was touching her. "Please," she all but begged.

"Do you promise not to run?"

Rachel straightened her spine and met his hazel gaze. "Running is your modus operandi, Puck, not mine."

He flinched at her use of his nickname, his hands dropped away from her. She only used that when she was pissed off, or he was being an ass. He guessed both were applicable now. "I'm sorry, Rach," he murmured.

"Yes, you said as much in your _Dear John_ letter to me. Now, if you will please excuse me, I have a cast party to attend. Goodbye, Noah." With a curt nod, she skirted around him and stomped as fast as her heels would allow, blinking back the tears that blurred her sight. Her heart ached and she knew if she didn't get away and get away fast, she'd end up a sniveling mess crumpled on the sidewalk about how much she'd missed him.

Puck stood there and stared after her, flabbergasted. He didn't know who he'd just encountered, but it wasn't the Rachel Berry he knew. Maybe that was the problem. He didn't know her anymore. A lot could happen in four years. But, he thought bitterly, if she wanted nothing to do with him, then he wanted nothing to do with her. _You are a cowardly pussy, Puck._ Sighing, he jogged after her, caught up to her at the end of the block. "Look, Berry, I came here to talk to you and I'm not leaving until I do." She was staring down at the sidewalk and he heard her sniffle. "Fuck," he muttered sharply. He never did learn how to handle teary women, the one before him included. "Don't cry, Dimples," he said softly, tipping her chin up with his index finger. Her watery gaze met his and something fluttered in his stomach. He was sunk.

Her heart ached at his use of the nickname he'd given her years before when they were happy and in love. A sad, half smile tugged at her lips as she looked at him. He reached out and gently brushed away the tears with the pads of his thumbs, lingering on her face. "Noah, don't," she pleaded.

"Ten minutes, Rachel. Please. I just want to talk to you."

Rachel sighed. He looked almost as sad as she felt. A big part of her was curious as to what he had to say, so for the memory of what they once had, she decided she'd give him ten minutes. "Okay," she shrugged. "But let's go somewhere else. I'd rather not have this conversation here."

"My hotel is only a few blocks from here," he suggested. "We could get—"

Affronted, she crossed her arms over her chest. "That is not even remotely funny, Noah Puckerman" she huffed, cutting him off.

His lips twitched into a full blown grin. "I meant the bar, Rach, but if you've got other things in mind…"

"Do you want me to slap you again?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Puck laughed. He had no doubt that she absolutely would slap him again. "Not really."

"Then I suggest you keep your lewd innuendo to yourself," she said haughtily flouncing down the street.

He grinned again, glad to know that his Rachel Berry was still in there somewhere, and hurried after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow, you guys! I'm overwhelmed by the response the first chapter received. Thank you so much. :) This chapter is much longer than the first. I don't think that I'm going to be able to wrap it up in three chapters after all, but I doubt that it would be more than five. We'll just see how it goes. Writing them as adults though, has made me want to write them in high school when they were beginning their relationship. I may do a series of one-shots that documents their beginning up until Puck left town. It really depends on if my muse sticks with me or decides to run away, which she is famous for. Many thanks to Mandy for helping me brainstorm and for putting up with my crazy.

Feedback = Love...let me know what you think! :)

* * *

The short walk to his hotel had been made in awkward silence. His attempts to engage her in conversation had been thwarted when she'd held up her hand informing him that his ten minutes had not yet begun. He'd wanted to laugh at the fierce look of determination and annoyance that played over her features when she'd done so, but he figured that would be the dumbass thing to do, and he was trying hard to not be a dumbass these days.

When they reached the hotel, he held the door open for her and he thought he saw the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly at the gesture. She sauntered ahead of him to the bar and he took the opportunity to fully appreciate her looks without fear of repercussion. The way her black dress swished invitingly about her hips, the way her dark chocolate locks shone and bounced around her shoulders leaving a seductive cloud of scent in her wake made his hands itch to touch her and tangle his fingers in that mass of dark waves. The muscles of his jaw tightened as she eased onto an empty barstool, crossing her legs demurely and flashing him an expanse of thigh as the fabric rode up. He could argue that he'd been at sea too long, but he knew better. Out of all the women Noah Puckerman had experienced in his life (and there'd been plenty), the only one that could set his blood to boil in an instant was this stunning brunette before him. It was, he decided, both a blessing and a curse.

He slid onto the stool across from her, rested his elbows on the table. She stood up hastily. "Excuse me for a moment," she said prissily before turning to walk away.

"What do you want to drink, Berry?" he asked gruffly, annoyed that she was being so damned difficult to pin down so they could talk.

She halted and cast a look over her shoulder at him. "Belvedere martini. Dirty," she replied, turned and headed towards the bathroom.

Puck quirked an eyebrow as the heat stirred low in his gut. He was fucking pathetic if all it took to get him hot and bothered was the word _dirty_ passing through Rachel Berry's delectable lips.

Rachel gripped the cold tile of the porcelain sink until her knuckles went white as stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her heart had all but hammered out of her chest on the walk over to the hotel and she needed a moment to compose herself before finally having the conversation she'd wanted to have for the past four years. Glimpses of the girl she'd been—that starry-eyed girl head over heels in love with the last boy she ever thought possible—peered back at her through the mirror. Seeing him tonight had reopened the floodgates on the wounds she'd fought tooth and nail to heal and a part of her wished he'd never come looking for her.

_The day after graduation, she pulled her car into the Puckerman's driveway and put it in park. Every nerve ending in her body was practically singing with happiness. High school was over and that meant that she and Noah could finally take the trip she'd spent the last two months begging for permission from her fathers. They still weren't crazy about the idea, but they trusted her and had really come around in regards to her boyfriend. The plan was still Julliard in the fall and she insisted that nothing and no one was going to derail her from reaching her dreams. After an embarrassing lecture from both of her fathers about safe sex (a subject she was already well versed in having dated Noah Puckerman for the better part of two years), they were finally scheduled to leave for their road trip at the end of the week. She wanted to share with him some of the itinerary she'd planned (though not meticulously, he'd made her promise). _

_Rachel spotted his mother sitting in the swing on the front porch and she smiled and waved. "Hello, Mrs. Puckerman," she said sweetly. "Is Noah here?"_

"_No, sweetheart, he isn't."_

"_Oh, that's okay. I can just sit and wait out here if you don't mind." Rachel studied the woman and furrowed her brows when she noticed that she'd been crying. "Mrs. Puckerman, are you all right?"_

_The woman shook her head. "Sit down, Rachel."_

_A dreadful feeling crept into the pit of her stomach as she sat beside his mother. "What's the matter?"_

"_Rachel, honey—Noah's gone."_

_That awful feeling rose higher and higher. "What do you mean gone? He's not hurt is he? Surely you would've called me if something had happened to him. Where is he?" she asked frantically, her voice flirting with hysteria. _

"_He wanted me to give this to you," she said, handing Rachel and envelope with her name on it. _

_Rachel wanted no part of whatever was in that letter. "Dammit, just tell me where he is!"_

"_He left for the Navy this morning." Rose Puckerman's eyes watered. _

_Her chest constricted and she couldn't catch her breath. This had to be some sort of sick joke. "The Navy?" Rachel sputtered, perplexed._

"_Just read the letter, please. He made me promise to give it to you." _

"_No!" she yelled, springing to her feet to pace the porch. "He wouldn't do this to me. He'd never leave without telling me. We're supposed to leave for our trip and then we're both going to college in the fall. Noah has never mentioned the Navy before." _

"_I'm so sorry, Rachel," she said again. "Please, sit down and read this letter." _

_No longer trusting her legs to keep her upright, she sat down on the front step and stared at her name scrawled on the envelope. She swallowed the lump in her throat and with shaky hands, ripped open the letter._

_**Dear Rachel,**_

_**If you're reading this, then you know that I've left to join the Navy. I know I'm an asshole for not telling you in person, but I knew if I took one look into those amazing doe eyes of yours that I wouldn't be able to leave. **_

_**My college plans fell through and this was the only way that I found to get the hell out of this Godforsaken town and make something of myself. Another reason I'm leaving is because of you. God, that sounds horrible. What I mean to say is that I would only drag you down if I stuck around Lima. I know how driven you are, but lately I saw that drive start to wane. I know that's because of me and I couldn't live with myself if you didn't achieve everything you're meant to, Rach. **_

_**I want you to go to New York and conquer all of your dreams. Just be you, and people won't be able to help but adore you. I know that one day I'll be watching you perform on Broadway and all of this will have been worth it.**_

_**Our relationship was one that I never expected, but these last two years with you have been the best of my life. I will miss the way your face lights up when something good happens and the way your eyes dance when you laugh. I'll miss your dimpled smile and the feel of your lips against mine. I'll miss everything. I know I don't say the words enough, but I love you, Rachel Berry. I think that I always will. **_

_**I'm sorry, Dimples.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Noah **_

Rachel swiped at the tears then retouched her makeup. When she looked into the mirror again, she no longer saw her former self staring back at her. She took a deep breath and went to rejoin Noah at the table.

She perched herself onto the barstool once more and forced herself to look at the man in front of her. She reached for her drink, took a large sip while he just stared at her. "Ten minutes, Noah," she said.

Puck took a long pull from the beer bottle for an ounce of liquid courage. He scrubbed a hand over his face, cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I left the way I did…leaving you that letter." I just—"

"Didn't have the balls to face me?" Rachel offered.

"I'm trying to explain."

"Then explain," she snapped.

"Dammit, this isn't easy for me, Rachel!" he barked.

"And it was easy for me, was it? To show up at your house, expecting to see you, make plans for our trip only to have your mother hand me a letter?" Her voice was low, her tone cold.

"It wasn't—that's not—dammit! I was trying to do the right thing."

"Ripping my heart out of my chest and annihilating me was the right thing to do? You left town like a coward."

Puck seethed. He was tired of that damn word hounding him. "I'm not a coward, goddammit! Leaving was the hardest fucking decision I ever made. I did it for you."

"How was leaving town—" her voice cracked and she shook her head. She felt the tears rising close to the surface again, replacing the mad with hurt. "What happened with Ohio State?"

"I didn't get the money to play football. They still wanted me, but without the scholarship my mom couldn't afford it." He picked up his beer again, drank deep. The memory of that huge disappointment still stung.

Rachel's face softened and her eyes watered. "Noah, why didn't you just tell me?" She fought the urge to reach out and lay her hand over his.

"I was too embarrassed."

"That's ridiculous," she frowned.

His eyes narrowed, "Well, I can't help how I felt about it, Rachel."

She nodded, understood. "Did you think that I would've judged you or been disappointed in you?"

He shook his head and stared down at the table, absentmindedly played with a coaster. "Not you. Your dads, maybe. Thought that you might one day. I don't know."

"That makes me truly sad that you could think I would ever judge you. Losing that money was out of your control. I would've been disappointed _for_ you, Noah, but never _in_ you." He didn't respond, so she kept going. "What was that nonsense you mentioned about me losing focus?"

"You changed a lot senior year. You didn't make your videos anymore; you were less focused on Glee Club—"

"Noah," she interrupted, growing agitated. "I'd already gotten my acceptance to Julliard and I needed a break. If I recall correctly, you were always trying to get me to take one. I'd never been a normal teenager and I was mostly okay with that. I still did those things, things that you used to tease me for relentlessly I might add, but I just didn't deem it necessary to do them with such intensity. We only had a few months left together and I wanted to enjoy every minute. That way, when I went to school I would be refreshed and ready to focus. God, why didn't you just talk to me? I would've been supportive of you joining the Navy."

"I was so terrified of getting trapped and becoming a Lima Loser. You know how relieved I was after Quinn had a miscarriage—God that still sounds so horrible—I would've done right by her. We would have been miserable together, but I would not have run out on her."

"I know," she whispered.

He polished off the last of his beer, signaled for another. "Being with you, all your talk of going after what you want—you were always so sure that everything was going to work out—it started to rub off on me and for the first time I didn't just hope to get out of Lima, I really believed I would. The scholarship falling through was just the first thread. After that I felt things unraveling."

"How did I not see any of this? How is that even possible?"

Puck scratched his eyebrow, shrugged. "I hid it," he said simply. "I only talked to my mom about it and made her swear not to tell you. We had those military recruiters at school one day. I told you I had to run to my truck before Glee and that I'd meet you in there, but I got the number for the Navy recruiter instead. After talking to him, I knew that it was my ticket out."

"I still don't understand why you wouldn't have come to me about all of this. That hurts almost as much as you leaving without a goodbye."

Her eyes swam with tears and she looked like someone had just kicked her dog. "It seemed like the only way at the time. I'm sorry, Rachel."

Rachel nodded sadly and brushed away the lone tear that had escaped. If only he had talked to her all those years ago. There was no sense in playing that game though, because it couldn't be taken back. What's done was done. So she met his eyes and murmured, "I know you are." Grabbing her drink, she lifted it to her lips and gulped down the rest, shuddering ever so slightly at the trail it warmed on the way down. He was watching her with amusement she noticed as she set her glass down. "What?" she asked, suddenly self-conscious.

Puck leaned forward and smirked. "Nothing."

"You're laughing at me," she frowned into her glass.

"No. It's just damn good to see you again." When she looked up again he grinned, happy when her lips twitched into a little smile. Even if she hadn't said the words, he knew he had her forgiveness and that was an enormous load off his chest.

"I never thought I would say this to you, but I think I miss your Mohawk. That's a strange statement. I haven't seen you without it since middle school. Your current look is more suited to an adult though. So—"

"Berry," he cut her off, "is this your way of saying you're glad to see me, too?"

Her lips fell into a pout. She annoyed herself for nattering on and on. "Yes." There was a devilish gleam in his eyes this time when he grinned. It was a look that had, on numerous occasions, made her head swim and her insides warm. Unfortunately for her, it was still effective. She couldn't find the right words to say, so instead she twirled the skewer of olives between her fingers before finally sliding the garnish into her mouth.

Puck's eyes clouded over as he watched her eat the olives. For most women, that would've been a carefully crafted seduction technique to drive a man crazy. Rachel wasn't most women and most likely she just wanted to eat the olives. But damn it all if it didn't stoke the fire within him once more.

That mouth of hers had always driven him crazy—in a lot of different ways—running the gamut from longing for a hearing impairment while she was within earshot to praying she'd never stop slipping those lips up and down his cock.

"You're doing it again," she said, snapping him from his reverie.

"Doing what?" he asked, feeling flushed under the collar.

"Excuse me," an older woman interrupted, giving Puck a reprieve. "I am so sorry to bother you, but aren't you Rachel Berry?" she asked politely.

Rachel smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"I thought so. My girlfriends and I are in town and we saw _West Side Story_ tonight and you were just marvelous, dear. We've been over there looking at the playbill and we looked over and spotted you."

"Thank you so much," she beamed. "That's very kind of you. I'm glad you enjoyed the show."

The woman pulled out the program and a pen. "Would you mind signing this?"

Her eyes lit up like the Fourth of July. "Sure." She grabbed the pen and neatly signed her name, drawing a star at the end. "Here you go."

"Thank you again. What a remarkable talent you are. I'll leave you alone with your handsome sailor." The woman smiled and walked away, leaving a blushing Rachel and a smiling Puck in her wake.

"Rachel Berry—signing autographs," he said proudly.

"My first fan! Can you believe that?" she asked, the smile evident in her voice.

"Of course I can. Congratulations, Dimples—you're a star!"

Rachel blushed again, unable to contain the smile that lit up her face. Something fluttered in her stomach when she noticed him smiling back at her. If she didn't get out of there in a hurry, she was going to succumb to the magnetism that was Noah Puckerman. A magnetism that multiplied tenfold while packaged in Navy dress whites. "It's getting late. I'm sure my friends are wondering where I am," she said, pushing her chair back from the table.

Puck's jaw twitched and he held off the frown. He'd asked for ten minutes and she'd given him many more than that. "I'm sure they are." He stood and threw some bills on the table to settle the tab.

They said nothing as they left the bar and walked through the lobby. "I'll get you a cab," he offered.

Rachel stopped and turned toward him. "Oh, no, that's okay. It's a nice night and it's not far. I'll just walk."

"Rachel, it's late," he frowned. The last thing he needed was for something to happen to her.

She smiled over his concern. "I'll have the doorman hail me a cab. Thank you for the drink."

He shrugged it off. "She was right you know."

"Who?" she asked, confused.

"The woman in the bar. You were amazing tonight."

Her jaw dropped. "You were at the show?"

He nodded softly. "Blew me away."

Rachel felt the tears threaten her again. "Thank you," she managed. She watched him reluctantly press the button to call the elevator. "It was good to see you, Noah."

"Good to see you, Rachel," he murmured, getting lost in the warmth of her deep brown eyes.

Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his middle, pressing her cheek into his chest. His arms came around her shoulders and held her close. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, desperate to keep the tears at bay.

He dropped his nose to the top of her head and inhaled the familiar scent of her shampoo and perfume. The elevator doors opened with a _ding_ and his heart constricted in his chest when she pulled away. "I guess this is it," he said finally.

"Take care of yourself, Noah," she whispered.

Puck stepped into the elevator, turned. "Goodbye, Rachel."

No longer trusting her voice, she lifted a hand to wave goodbye and watched him until the doors started to close. His hand slammed against the door, halting it from shutting. Puck stepped out, grabbed her hand and tugged her into the elevator with him. "Noah, what—" she began, but was silenced when he pulled her roughly against his body and crushed his mouth to hers.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you all so, so much for the wonderful feedback. I continue to be amazed by the response to this story. There will definitely be one more chapter after this one, but most likely there will be two. I've also decided that I want to write a prequel to this, so hopefully that will get started soon after this story is finished. A special thanks to Mandy! Hope you enjoy this chapter. It definitely earns the M rating. :)

* * *

_Tonight, you arrested my mind.  
When you came to my defense.  
With a knife in the shape of your mouth,  
in the form of your body, with the wrath of a god.  
Oh, you stood by me, Belief_

Puck tugged her into the elevator and crushed his mouth against hers in a greedy, soul-searing kiss as the doors closed them off from the outside world. She tried desperately to catch up, get her bearings. All thought went out the window when he changed angles and deepened the kiss, his tongue dueling with hers in a heated tango rendering her unable to do anything but feel. One of his hands fisted in her hair, keeping their lips fused together while the other held firm on the small of her back pulling her intimately against him. Her brain begged for oxygen, but she held on to him, content to drown herself in his skilled kiss. He must have had the same basic need, because he broke the kiss first and dropped his forehead to hers. Their breathing was labored and came out in desperate pants that mixed in the air between them.

He watched through hooded eyes as hers slowly fluttered open and peered up at him in bewilderment. Her fingertips curled into his shoulders. "Wow," she whispered. The bell on the doors chimed and slid open on the twelfth floor. They both turned their heads toward the open doors. Puck turned his gaze back to Rachel, but her eyes remained fixed on the hallway before them. Again the doors were about to close around them, so Puck tugged her once more, this time _off_ the elevator.

Warning bells whirred in her brain, but one look into his smoldering eyes as he towered over her and the lust rolling low in her belly pulled the plug and silenced them. "This is a bad idea," she murmured.

He smirked and hooked his hands under her armpits, lifted her so they were eye to eye. "I've always been a bad idea," he bit out gruffly.

To hell with her reserve, she thought the nanosecond before she jumped over the proverbial cliff and wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "I don't care," she purred hot against his ear. Her hands caressed the sides of his face and she pulled back to look at him. Seeing the primal look in his eyes confirmed her fear: she was now on board a fast track to hell. But at least with Noah Puckerman conducting the train, she was damn well sure to have the ride of her life on the way there.

He was fighting a losing battle trying to hold on to the last shred of decorum he had left before he said _fuck it_ and nailed her up against the wall. That little shred shrunk even further as her fingers ran over the back of his head and her lashes lowered seductively. "Last chance, Berry," he warned, his heart beating a tattoo against his ribs as he neared the point of no return.

She wriggled closer and captured his bottom lip between her teeth. "Stop talking, Puck," she demanded, nipping at his mouth.

_Fuck_. The third and final instance where she would use his nickname—she was horny. His brain tried to remember which room was his and failed when her tongue darted out of her mouth to trace the outline of his lips. Room 1204 or 1206? Jesus he couldn't think of anything but ripping her goddamn clothes off and glorying in her naked body. He fumbled for the keycard and pressed her back against the wall outside the room he prayed was his. Concentration eluded him, making the simple task of unlocking the damn door nearly impossible. "Hurry," she pleaded breathlessly, setting the buttons free on his jacket. On the fourth try, he heard the telltale beep and click of the door unlocking and he hurriedly carried her into the room, kicking it closed behind him.

Rachel felt her feet gently land on the floor below and the backs of her knees bump against the mattress. She hastily kicked off her shoes as his mouth hotly claimed hers again. She fumbled with the remaining buttons of his coat and pushed it over his broad shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her hands slowed their exploration, rested on his biceps and she pressed her body closer to his, feeling the heat radiate through the white cotton t-shirt he wore. He inched the zipper of her dress down and she shivered when calloused fingers ran down her spine, mewled when his hands ran down and cupped her ass in a possessive squeeze.

Puck pulled back and stripped off his shirt, toed off his shoes. He watched her eyes rake over his bare chest. Her fingers ran over his dog tags and then she lifted her eyes to him. He stared at her in the dim lamplight, all doe-eyed and chestnut waves, her full pink lips made even fuller from kissing. The emerald lace of her bra and barely there panties accentuated her delicate curves and made her legs go on for miles. "It's fucking sinful how gorgeous you are, Rachel," he rasped. He'd been with her in this manner countless times, but it had been so long ago and she'd gone and gotten exponentially more beautiful since then. He lifted her hand from his chest and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist.

Her cheeks flushed prettily. He was so beautiful that it caused an ache somewhere deep within her, just the way it always had. Words failed her, so she pressed her lips against the pulse throbbing in his neck and let the kiss speak on her behalf. She wanted him, needed to feel the weight of him pressing her into the mattress as their bodies joined primitively. Hurriedly she undid his belt buckle and unfastened his pants, letting them pool to his feet with the other clothes. "God, I want you," she breathed, falling back onto the bed, pulling him down with her.

He stumbled forward, braced himself so as not to crush her and deftly rolled them over until she straddled him. She ground her hips against his throbbing erection and blazed a trail of hot, open-mouthed kisses over the planes of his chest. "Jesus, Berry," he groaned, enjoying her ministrations. He sat up and pulled her torso flush against his, feeling the heat notch up towards scorching. His fingers made quick work of the clasp on her bra and he bowed his head to her breasts. He flicked his tongue over one dusky nipple, then the other until they were both pebbled peaks.

Rachel's head fell back in ecstasy as he assaulted her senses and she rocked her hips into his again, burning to have him fill her completely. His mouth found hers again and he flipped her onto her back, covering her body fully with his.

She dipped her fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs and brought them around to stroke the velvety skin of his shaft. Puck swallowed hard and buried his nose into her neck when her hand quickened the movements. He was so hot for her that if she didn't stop that soon he was afraid this would be over embarrassingly fast. "You're trying to kill me," he groaned, nipping at her neck and making her moan softly. He sat up, gently pulled her hand away and brought the tips of her fingers to his mouth, kissing each one. He cupped her mound and she arched her hips against his hand, spurring him to continue.

Her eyes rolled back into her head when she felt one thick finger, then another, slide slowly and deeply into her heat. She quivered when he flicked his thumb against her clit, strumming her as though she were the strings of his guitar. "Noah," she whimpered, her fingers curling into the bedspread. His hand pumped faster and faster against her until her vision went white and she came hard and fast around his fingers, making her cry out.

He slipped his fingers from her body, drew them to his mouth and licked the taste of her off, moaning at the heady and seductive taste. She watched him through hooded eyes, writhing below him. "Please," she begged, snapping the last tether on his control. He pulled away, searching for his wallet in his discarded pants and she shimmied out of her soaked panties. Puck grabbed a condom from his wallet and turned back to her. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her, completely naked before him, her hair fanned out against the pillow.

She watched intently as he shed his boxers, catching her bottom lip between her teeth when his thick cock sprang free. He ripped the foil packet open with his teeth and rolled it into place. His forearms hooked around her knees and dragged her down the bed towards him, rumpling the covers beneath her in the process. Her body trembled in anticipation. He teased his tip at her entrance and she arched beneath him, pressing her hips up to draw him in fully. "Please," she begged again, her need for him bordering on desperate.

He leaned over and kissed her. "Look at me," he commanded, waiting until her eyes fluttered open before he plowed himself into her, sword to the hilt. She cried out and he allowed her body a moment to adjust around him before he rocked his hips against her. He drove her higher and higher, damp flesh slapping against damp flesh.

"Oh," she moaned, digging her nails into his shoulders. "Harder," she purred and he obliged. Two more hard thrusts and her body went rigid as she came again. "God, Noah," she cried, clinging to him.

Her walls pulsed strongly around him bringing him closer and closer to the brink. She bucked her hips wildly against his. "Fuck," he cried, and fell over the edge after her. He stilled his hips and buried his nose into her hair, his heart hammering in his chest. "Rachel," he whispered reverently. He lifted his head and kissed her cheek, reluctantly slipping out of her body. "I'll be right back."

Rachel watched him walk to the bathroom then flopped back against the pillows, smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary.

When he returned, he found her curled beneath the sheets, her head propped up on her hand, a lazy satisfied smile on her lips. The bed shifted with his weight as he slid under the covers next to her, resting his hand on her naked hip. "Hi," he murmured.

"Hi," she echoed, the smile spreading over her features. "I hope you're feeling hospitable, because I decided to stay."

He smirked, amused by her playfulness. "I am."

"Good. My bed is really far away and it doesn't come with a sexy sailor. That's unfortunate, don't you think?"

"Oh, a definite shame," he nodded.

She sighed happily when he grinned. "I'm going to have my way with you again," she told him.

He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. "Just be gentle," he said roguishly, making her laugh.

"Not likely," she retorted, dropping her lips to his.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Seriously, I'm just amazed by the response this little story's gotten. Thank you all so much! And I know that I originally started this out saying it was only going to be two-three chapters, but now it's looking like six. (Subject to change, naturally. LOL!) There will also be a prequel to this story and that one will be much longer than this. Thank you to my girls for helping. Mwah! As always, feedback = love, so please let me know what you think.

* * *

The next morning, Rachel awoke and surveyed her surroundings, momentarily confused by the strange wallpaper and curtains that definitely did not belong to her apartment. She yawned and stretched, feeling the ache in every muscle of her body as the morning fog cleared from her brain and everything snapped into focus. Noah. Sex—and lots of it. They'd barely let go of each other during the night while they all but fucked themselves half to death. It had been an amazing night, but now that the light of day was shining on the subject, she wasn't sure what she felt.

She angled her head and found him sprawled face down on the bed still fast asleep. He looked so innocent and peaceful like this, almost angelic, which was a total disparity to him during waking hours, she mused. His thick, dark lashes stood in contrast against his skin and his perfect lips were slightly parted as he slept hard and snored softly. He was beautiful. Rachel wished that the magic of last night could be bottled up and kept forever, but she knew it was foolish to even entertain such a ridiculous idea. Sighing, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed carefully through the room searching for her discarded clothing.

"Where are they?" she muttered under her breath, looking under every surface in the room for her panties. She'd found every other item she'd walked in with and hastily put them back on, but she wasn't crazy about going commando back to her apartment.

"Looking for these?" he asked, making her jump and drop her purse.

"God, Noah," she admonished, pressing a hand to her rapidly beating heart. "You scared the hell out of me." She turned and saw her panties dangling from his index finger as he scowled up at her. _Uh oh. _She'd been busted.

"What are you doing?" he asked sharply, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He'd been watching her for the last couple of minutes as she went frantically around the room and dressing as fast as she possibly could. She was going to sneak out and that pissed him the hell off.

"I—I need to get going. I have somewhere to be this afternoon." Growing increasingly uncomfortable with his pointed look, she averted her eyes.

"You weren't going to wake me up, were you?" he asked knowingly, bitterness coloring his words.

"I left you a note," she offered lamely.

Puck glanced at the nightstand, seeing the folded piece of paper with his name written in her impeccably neat writing. The muscles in his jaw tightened and he shot her a look of pure annoyance before he turned back to the note and read.

_Noah,_

_Last night was unexpected, to say the least, but it was one I will never forget. Thank you for an amazing time. _

_Stay well,_

_Rachel_

"This is bullshit," he said angrily. He crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it on the floor. He rose from the bed and tugged on his pants. "Why not just leave some money by the bed while you're at it, Rachel?"

She flinched and felt like a scolded child, which annoyed her to no end. But the guilt was quick to follow and set in. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Noah."

"Don't play dumb, we both know it doesn't suit you," he said harshly.

Rachel bristled, folding her arms across her chest. "I admit that the note was probably not—"

"Your note," he sharply interrupted, "was fucking pathetic."

"I'm not going to stand here while you swear at me, Puck," she snapped back. She bent down, picked her purse up off the floor, and hurried towards the door, flung it open.

"Now look who's being a coward," he said gruffly, halting her movement.

Rachel slammed the door closed and whirled to face him. "I am not a coward, Noah," she said through clenched teeth.

"Could've fooled me," he grumbled. "I can't believe you were going to just disappear after the night we had."

"Yes, well, I can't believe you would disappear after a two-year relationship to join the Navy without telling me, but there you have it. It was just sex, Noah." She cringed as the words left her mouth. It was a low blow and she hadn't meant to lash out at him like that. Not to mention that she hadn't meant a single word. The shock in his eyes made her feel like garbage.

"I'll give you the first part, Rachel. I regret the way I left, but it's done. As for the second, you're a shitty liar. It was more than that and you damn well know it."

Her eyes fell closed and she sighed. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "That was unkind."

"Rachel," he began quietly, "I'm not stupid enough to think that last night was enough to undo everything that's happened, but you can't honestly stand there and tell me that nothing exists between you and me."

"You're right, I can't say that," she admitted truthfully. "But it doesn't change things, Noah. My life is here and you're leaving in a few days. I really don't know what you want or expect from me."

Puck crossed his arms over his chest, studied her. He ran a hand over his face and took pleasure in watching her squirm under his heated stare. "Spend the weekend with me," he suggested at last.

Her eyes went wide, unsure that she'd heard correctly. "What?"

He grinned, fast and wicked, at the look of incredulity on her face. "Let's spend the weekend together—see what happens. We can talk on Monday, decide where we stand."

She had a pretty good idea what would happen alright. "That's—absurd. I can't spend the weekend with you," she sputtered.

"Why not?" He stepped closer, bridging the gap between them until it was virtually non-existent. "You're not scared are you?"

"Of course I'm not scared," she said a little too quickly. Her heart started to race and she fought the urge to wipe her damp palms on her skirt. "I just have things to do."

"Then I'll come with you. What's on tap for today?"

"Noah!"

"Rachel!" He smirked down at her, reached out and twirled a chestnut lock around his finger. "Come on, Berry. What do you have to lose?"

Only everything, she thought. But the idea of being with Noah for the whole weekend was too tempting an offer to pass up, especially if last night was any indication as to how they would spend some of their time. "Fine," she sighed.

"Your enthusiasm over the impending situation astounds me," he teased with a wink, using Rachel Berry verbiage. He grinned when her eyes narrowed and he laid his lips over hers, kissing her soundly. "So, what's first?"

Oh, what have you gotten yourself into, Rachel Berry, she wondered, completely nonplussed. "I am singing the National Anthem at an event today."

"Great. Where?"

"Yankee Stadium," she stated nonchalantly.

His eyes went wide. "What? Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

"Your eloquence astounds me," she said dryly, mocking him.

He rolled his eyes, brushing it off. "No joke, you're really singing at the Yankees game?"

"Yes," she smiled, finding his surprise adorable. "Do you want to come with me or not?"

"Hell yes. Let me grab a shower."

"Okay," she nodded, still standing by the door.

Puck eyed the door, then her. "Don't run."

"I won't," she promised. She grinned up at him, finding herself becoming more excited at the idea of the entire weekend together.

"Good." He headed for the bathroom, stopped in the doorway. "Wanna join me? I'd be happy to scrub your back." He held her gaze and smirked when she blushed. "Or any other parts." Then he undid the button on his pants daring her to come to him.

Rachel bit the inside of her lip, deciding that Noah Puckerman could tempt the devil. "What the hell," she muttered. She reached for the zipper on her dress and went to join him.

***

She unlocked every one of the four locks to her apartment and led him inside. "Make yourself at home—I'll be back," she flashed him a winning smile and ran a hand down his bicep. Their shower had lasted much longer than she'd accounted for (not that she was complaining), and now she was pressed for time to make it to the ballpark as scheduled. "There's food in the fridge if you're hungry." She smiled at him once more and walked into her bedroom to change.

Puck looked around the small apartment, taking in everything. The space was neat and tidy with touches of Rachel everywhere. There were pink accents here and there, but this was adult Rachel's apartment and there were only hints of the girl she'd been. He stopped at her desk, looked at the pictures displayed on the bulletin board hanging on the wall. Faces, both new and familiar smiled out at him—Rachel and Kurt at the Statue of Liberty, Rachel on St. Patty's Day, dressed head to toe in green holding a large beer mug, a group of Julliard students in their graduation gowns, and down in the corner, a picture of the Glee kids during their senior year. He recognized it immediately—it was the same one she'd given him in a frame—said she loved it because he'd just whispered a filthy suggestion into her ear and they were smiling at each other while the rest of the group beamed into the camera none the wiser. They looked so young there, so happy, so long ago.

When she walked out of her bedroom, she found him hunched over her desk looking at the pictures displayed. She admired the way the soft gray t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and showed off his impressive arms. He seemed so big in her tiny apartment and she still wasn't quite sure what to make of the fact that they were in the same place together after all this time. He'd vanished from her life in an instant and reappeared the same way. But when he turned, looked at her, gave her a lopsided grin that had her heart skipping beats, she was pretty sure he looked right taking up too much space in her home. "Ready?" she asked.

Puck grinned fully when he took notice of her outfit. "Never thought I'd see the day Rachel Berry put on sports apparel," he said, commenting on her Yankees jersey.

Rachel looked down at her outfit and smiled. "It wouldn't be my first choice, but it was sent over for me to wear since I'm singing. Do I look okay?" she asked, suddenly unsure.

Her tanned legs seemed to go on for days in the shorts she wore, which should be impossible considering her lack of height, he thought. The jersey was swimming on her, but she'd done the girl thing and cinched it up in the back to make it more fitted. It didn't matter—whatever she wore she was stunning. "Better than okay," he told her, reaching out and stroking his thumb over her cheek. He drew her mouth to his, kissed her gently, feeling her lips slowly warm beneath his. "You're pretty," he murmured when he pulled away.

"You make me dizzy," she admitted softly, looking up at him with stars in her eyes.

Puck smirked, but he sympathized with her plight. "Is that a good thing?"

She studied him for a moment, mulling over her answer. "I don't know yet," she sighed. "That's what this weekend is for I suppose."

"Fair enough."

"Oops, I forgot my hat," she said and bounded into the other room. She returned with the Yankees cap on her head and found him stifling a laugh. "What?"

"The bill is so flat. You look like a nerd. Or a wannabe gangster." She frowned. "Come here," he chuckled, plucking the hat off her head. She watched as he bent the bill back and forth in his hands until it had a rounded look. He placed it back onto her head and tugged it down. "There—much better."

Rachel adjusted the hat so it was more comfortable on her head and tousled her wavy locks into place. She looked into the mirror by the door and nodded. "Wow that really is better. Thank you."

"Ready to take me out to the ballgame, Berry?" he asked playfully.

She rolled her eyes. "You're corny. Let's go."

***

"_And the home of the brave." _

The smile broke across his face as she held the last note and the crowd broke out in cheers for her; laughed when she did a little curtsey and hurried off the field. Only Rachel Berry could curtsey in a pair of shorts and a jersey in a stadium full of people and pull it off. "You were great," he told her when she reached the gate where he stood waiting.

"Thank you," she said brightly. "Come on, let's go find our seats.

He cast a sideways look at her, shocked. "Wait, you want to stay for the game?"

"You do," she shrugged. "I think they gave me good seats. Come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, feeling the jolt of electricity shoot up her arm when he laced his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand.

After the game, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they left the ballpark. "So, Rach, on a scale of one to ten, how bored were you?"

"One point five, but that is only because the game went into extra innings," she smirked.

"Oooh, someone's enjoying my company," he said with a self-satisfied smirk, poking her in the stomach with the giant foam finger he'd gotten at the game.

She shoved him away laughing. "It was actually the beer and crackerjacks, thank you very much."

He stopped and shoved his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. "Keep telling yourself that, Berry."

"I will, Puckerman." She stuck her tongue playfully out at him and reached into her pocket for her ringing phone. "It's Kurt," she said, reading the display.

"Hummel?" he asked, with an arched brow.

"Yes."

"Give it," he said with a wicked grin, holding out his hand. Rachel eyed him skeptically, but handed him the phone. "Rachel's phone," he answered, putting the call on speakerphone.

"Oh, hello strange man answering Rachel's phone. Who is this? What are you and that slut friend of mine doing?"

"Kurt!" Rachel exclaimed laughing.

"Easy, Hummel, or you'll get a Slushie to the face." Puck suppressed a laugh when Kurt gasped.

"No. Effing. Way. Noah Puckerman?"

"The one and only. Catch you later." With that, he ended the call, handed the phone back to Rachel.

Rachel shook her head and laughed. Her phone beeped and she opened it to read the message. She threw her head back and laughed at the sight of Kurt's shocked face with the message _My face when I found out it was Puck_. Another message quickly followed. _This has to be a joke. I need proof_.

Puck grabbed her phone again and pulled her into his side. He held the phone out at arm's length. "Smile, baby," he said lowly, then snapped the picture and sent it off to Kurt.

"His reaction should be good," she smiled. As if on cue, another message rolled in. _Oh em gee!!!! And WTFFFFFFF are you wearing? U'd betta not back out on karaoke tonight. Dear Jesus do not wear that monstrosity you're calling an outfit. Bring Puck. Yum!_

"Coulda done without the _yum_," Puck said, wrinkling his nose.

"Aww, poor Noah—irresistible to straights and gays alike," she teased, cupping his face in her hands.

He quirked a brow again and grinned. "You find me irresistible?"

The smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "So it would seem." She planted a quick kiss on his lips. "You up for a karaoke night with Kurt?"

He leaned in and nipped at her ear. "Can I get you naked before and after?"

His hot breath at her ear made her shiver. She tried to act affronted anyway—and failed epically. "I'd say that's a very strong possibility," she managed.

Puck pulled back and winked. "Well, what are we waiting for?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Thanks for all of the feedback. You guys are the best! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. A special thank you to Mandy and Luci for their help. :)

Rachel collapsed against his chest as they lay tangled in a sweaty heap in the middle of her bed, both trying to get their breathing back to normal. She could feel his heart hammering beneath her cheek and she turned her head enough to press a kiss there. "That was good," she murmured into his skin. He muttered back something completely unintelligible and a laugh bubbled up in her throat. "What's wrong, sailor?" She rested her chin on his chest and looked at him.

Puck opened one eye and found her smiling down wickedly at him. "Can't really form thoughts yet—except that you might be the devil."

Her smile widened and her eyes sparkled with laughter. "Me? If I recall correctly, and you know how good my memory is, it was _your_ suggestion to come back here and get naked."

His lips twisted into a smirk and he reached for a pillow to prop up his head. "It's your fault for tempting me." He smoothed the hair out of her eyes, tucked it behind one ear as the fingers of his free hand brushed lightly up and down her back. "And that was so far beyond 'good', Dimples. Where are your five dollar words when the situation really calls for them?"

"Ah, so that did work its way into your brain after all," she said wryly. "Perhaps my brain isn't firing on all cylinders yet either." She peppered his jaw with light kisses, finally settling over his mouth. "We really should get ready," she sighed when she lifted her head and peered at the clock. "I told Kurt we'd meet him at 9:00."

"Do we have to?" he groaned. "I'm all warm and comfy and naked. So are you," he grinned.

Rachel half laughed and half groaned. "Another round right now would kill us both."

Puck started to protest, but quickly realized how right she was and gave only a non-committal grunt.

It was all so easy, she thought. This—just being together again—so easily swept up in the grand romance of it all. The logical part of her brain kept trying to get her attention, to shed light on this situation and the fact that he was leaving in two days, but the normally tiny carefree portion was banging a drum and drowning everything else out. She had a sexy man in her bed and they were enjoying each other's company. What was so wrong with that? The only thing she knew was that she wasn't searching for answers tonight. Rachel lowered her head and kissed him once more. "I'm going to hop in the shower," she said and rolled off him before he could protest.

He rolled to his side, shifted the pillow beneath his head and watched her move about the room, wondering how in the world he ever got lucky enough to have once chance with her, let alone a second one after all this time. They were both operating under the pretense that whatever was happening between them was just for the weekend, at least outwardly, but he had other plans. He hoped she did as well, but if at the end of the weekend their plans differed, he'd just have to bring her around to his side. He heard the shower kick on and closed his eyes, deciding to worry about his plan later.

"Noah," she said softly, trying to rouse him from sleep. "Come on wake up." He didn't budge, so she shook him gently. Leaning in, she brushed her lips against his and felt him stir. "Time to get up," she said against his mouth.

Feeling her lips against his, he tried to surface from his nap. He blinked his eyes open slowly, found her leaning over him, all dark hair and eyes. When she smiled at him, he felt something warm twist his insides. "Sorry I fell asleep," he muttered thickly, rubbing his eyes.

"It's okay," she said and ran a hand along his stubbly jaw. "I figured you might want to take a shower before we left. I ordered pizza, too. It should be here shortly." A knock sounded at the door. "There is it. Get up," she demanded playfully, patting his face before walking out of the room.

Puck sat up and yawned as his stomach growled loudly. There'd been lots of sex and little food during their weekend so far, not that he minded, but he really needed to refuel. He heard her thank the delivery guy and the thud of the door closing when he walked out of her bedroom. She was humming lightly to herself as she opened the kitchen cabinets to get out plates and glasses. He'd never thought of himself as a long-term kind of guy, not even when they'd been together for two years. But now, watching her mill around the tiny space in her tank top and boy shorts setting the table for dinner, he couldn't stop his mind from picturing this very future of sharing a space, sharing a life together. God, he was being ridiculous. They didn't even know each other anymore—not really—not after four years apart, and he was willingly looking into the _future_. His brain was just clouded with all the amazing sex they'd been having and the lack of nourishment. That was all. So when she lifted her eyes, spotted him, and smiled warmly, he told whatever was fluttering in his stomach and melting his heart to fuck right off and that he was just hot for her. Nothing more. And he surely couldn't be held accountable for the plans he'd considered before just as he was drifting off to sleep. Right? _Right._

Rachel carefully tousled the waves she'd put in her hair and slicked on some lip gloss. She'd taken extra care with her makeup tonight, wanting to look fabulous so Kurt wouldn't get on her case, but also to look nice for the man currently in her shower. Her eyes were smoky, her lashes long and black, and her cheekbones were high and blushed perfectly pink. She slipped her feet into the heels she'd blown way too much money on and sprayed perfume in all the right places. The deep blue material of her mini-dress skimmed high on her thighs and she turned in front of the mirror, surveying her handiwork. Happy with her appearance, she carefully placed the things she needed for the night into her silver clutch and went to wait for him in the living room.

They'd had a nice dinner together, laughing and talking, sharing a little about what they'd been up to for the past four years. As he dressed, he noted that she hadn't talked at all about her freshman year. In fact, she'd very carefully steered the conversation away from what was sure to have been a painful for her, just as it had been for him. The conversation may have stayed in the shallow end of the pool, but it was easy and comfortable and he found himself slinking closer and closer to the edge. He sighed heavily and laced up the white dress shoes to his uniform.

When he walked out into the living room, she looked up at him again and smiled, then rose to her feet. His eyes raked over her form slowly and he damn near swallowed his tongue. "I knew it," he said, stepping closer for a better look.

Her brows knit together, confused. "Knew what?"

"That you're the devil," he said darkly, smirked. "You look fucking amazing."

Rachel grinned as a little thrill rippled through her. "Thank you, Noah. Ready to go?" She turned to grab her purse and heard him groan and mutter something about a naughty vixen under his breath. Biting back the smile, she was glad she went with the backless dress.

When they arrived at the bar, Rachel couldn't believe how many other Navy men were there. No wonder Kurt wanted to do karaoke tonight, she thought, amused. He would be in seventh heaven. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw Puck in his uniform. "Oh, there's Kurt," Rachel said above the din, pointing to a table near the stage.

"I'll go get us a drink," he said, and brushed his fingers along the small of her exposed back, winking at her when the goose bumps prickled her flesh.

Rachel _whooshed _out a breath and wound her way through the crowd to reach her friend. "Kurt!" she greeted brightly.

Kurt's face lit up when he saw her, and then gave her a very exaggerated once over appraising her outfit. He pursed his lips and nodded his approval. "You look delish! Those shoes are faboo!"

"Why thank you, darling," she grinned and kissed the air on both sides of his cheeks then slid into the empty seat across from him.

"Now, Rachel, honey," he began, folding his hands on the table, "explain to me a) what the holy hell were you wearing in that picture earlier and b) now that I know the _who_ is Noah freaking Puckerman, you'd better dish the where, when, how, why, huh, STAT!

Rachel shook her hair back and laughed heartily. Only Kurt would put the baseball hat in front of Puck. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell," she said coyly, ignoring his incredulous snort. "Look," she pointed excitedly, "there's Noah now." She laughed again when his jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out of his head.

"Oh, sweet Madonna Louise Ciccone! He's in uniform?" Kurt turned back to Rachel and gasped, then fanned himself. "I hate you so much right now, you lucky little strumpet!"

Puck nodded in acknowledgement when he saw Rachel wave since his hands were full. He smirked deeply when he saw Kurt Hummel gawping at him like he was some gay fantasy du jour. He slid into the seat next to Rachel, handed her a beer. "How's it going, Kurt?" His brow arched when Kurt giggled like a little bitch and readjusted the jaunty little hat perched on his head. He nudged Rachel's elbow and shot her an _are you for real_ look.

Kurt took a large sip of his pink drink and cleared his throat. "Forgive me—men in uniform render me completely inarticulate."

Puck wanted to retort with something snarky, but Rachel's hand on his knee in warning stopped him.

"But you, honey," Kurt said, waving his finger, "work that uniform better than anyone."

"I am a good lookin' bastard!" he said with a cocky grin. He and Rachel shared a quick smile and he inched his hand up her bare thigh, smiling into his drink when she squirmed.

"Mmm hmm," he agreed. "But back to you, Miss Thing," Kurt said, turning his attention to Rachel. "A baseball hat? Honestly. Have I taught you nothing?"

"Kurt," Rachel laughed, "it was a _baseball_ game."

He raised his hands in the air. "And? You also had on a jersey." He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "It was heinous, Rachel Berry."

She waved him off. "Oh, forget it. What are you singing tonight?"

Kurt smiled, happy to have the spotlight. "I will be doing an amazing rendition of the Salt n Pepa classic, _Shoop."_

Puck nearly did a spit take and Rachel laughed heartily. "Can't wait, Kurt," Rachel enthused. "Let me know if you need backup."

"And you, my lovely starlet, will be singing the Cher version of _The Shoop Shoop Song._ It's a very shoop-shoop-ba-doop kind of day."

"A very good choice. What about you, Noah?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nope, not gonna happen."

"Boooooo!" Rachel and Kurt yelled in unison.

Puck shrugged and took another drink of his beer. "Sorry, Dimples."

"_Bawk, bawk, bawk, baaaawk,_" Rachel started clucking, flapping her arms like a chicken. Kurt joined in.

"Oh my God, shut up!" he said without malice. Rachel giggled and placed her hands on his face, drawing his head down to plant a noisy kiss on his lips.

Kurt looked positively aghast at this development. It was one thing to speculate about his best friend and Noah Puckerman, but it was quite another to bear witness. "Dear Liza! Rachel, conference in the ladies' lounge. Pronto." He rose quickly from the table and pulled her away from Puck, practically dragging her to the bathroom.

"What is the matter with you, Kurt?" she whined, jerking her arm free from his grasp.

"Details! Now!" He placed his hands on his hips and tapped his foot impatiently.

Rachel sighed, knowing that Kurt was like a dog with a bone—though in his case more like a toy poodle with a squeaky toy—and wouldn't let this go until she dished. So she gave him a very brief (and edited!) synopsis.

Kurt frowned when she was finished, wondering what his best friend had gotten herself into. "Rachel, sweetie, what are you going to do when he leaves again?"

"Kurt, don't!" she scolded, feeling as though her happy bubble was on the verge of bursting. "I know this seems completely out of character for me—believe me, I'm just as surprised as you at my behavior—but I am going to enjoy every second of this weekend and Noah and I will deal with things later."

"If you're sure…" he said, a little uneasy.

"I am. Now, can we please go back out there so we can sing and show everyone else how fabulous we are? You can't deny your audience Salt n Pepa."

Kurt's lips twitched slowly into a sunny smile. "So true." He hooked his arm through hers and they headed for the stage to put in their requests.

Two of Puck's Navy buddies had stumbled upon on him amid the throng of people and they were sitting in the seats recently vacated by Rachel and Kurt. He kept stealing glances towards the restrooms hoping to catch a glimpse of Rachel. He nodded and interjected when necessary as Martinez babbled on and on. He was a great guy, Jay Martinez, but the dude talked incessantly when he drank and his stories were always so unbelievable that everyone always ended conversations with him with "You are so fucking full of shit!"

A voice came on the mic to announce the next performer in the karaoke lineup. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Rachel to the stage!"

Puck's ears perked up, and he turned and saw her reach for the microphone and laugh at something Kurt said behind her. The crowd of men gathered near the stage roared their applause once they got a good look at her. He knew exactly how they felt.

"This goes out to all the fine sailors here tonight," she said cheekily, earning more applause and catcalls as the music started.

"_Does he love me I wanna know_

_How can I tell if he loves me so_

_(Is it in his eyes)_

_Oh no, you'll be deceived_

_(Is it in his eyes)_

_Oh no, he'll make believe_

_If you wanna know if he loves you so it's in his kiss_

_(That's where it is oh yeah)"_

Rachel worked the stage, smiling and pointing at Navy men in the audience while Kurt sang backup vocals and danced like one of the Supremes. She walked down the stairs so she could sing in the crowd. Spotting a handsome guy, she stopped and sang to him.

"_(Or Is it in his face)_

_Oh no, that's just his charm_

_(In his warm embrace)_

_Oh no, that's just his arms_

_If you wanna know if he loves you so it's in his kiss_

_(That's where it is)_

_Whoa-oh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)"_

She ran a hand playfully along his arm, skirting out of reach when he made a grab for her and moved on to the next table, slowly winding through the tables towards her final destination and flirting with sailors as part of the show along the way.

"_Whoa-oh-oh hug him and squeeze him tight  
and find out what you want to know  
If it's love if it really is it's there in his kiss  
(How 'bout the way he acts) oh no that's not the way  
And you're not listening to all I say  
If you wanna know (shoop shoop shoop shoop  
shoop shoop shoop shoop) if he loves you so  
it's in his kiss (that's where it is)  
whoa-oh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Oh yeah it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)_

_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)"_

She finally ended up at their table and sang to a grinning Noah.

"_Ooh it's in his kiss (that's where it is)"_

Rachel plopped down onto his lap and kissed him thoroughly, the crowd whooping and hollering around them. She leaned back and smiled demurely at him.

"Aw, doll, what the hell are you doing with the likes of him?" Martinez asked. "I'm heartbroken."

She looked to the other two men at the table and grinned. "Well, I play by the whole 'dance with the one that brought ya' but unless Noah here mans up and sings a song, I might be looking elsewhere," she teased, squealing when he squeezed the ticklish part of her thigh.

"I think this one has your number, Puckerman," Ryan Davies chuckled and picked up his beer mug. "If you get tired of him, you let me know."

Her smile widened towards the two men she could tell were good friends of Noah's. "I'm Rachel," she said, extending her hand first to the light-eyed blonde and then to the dark-haired man.

"A pretty name for an even prettier woman," Martinez said, drawing her hand to his lips.

"Mine," Puck bit out, slapping Martinez's hand away. "Don't make me kill you," making his buddies snicker and snort.

Rachel angled her head to him. "I'm sorry, Noah, but if you can't be bothered to get on stage, perhaps I'd be better suited with one of your friends here," she said lightly, fighting back the urge to smile.

Who was this woman before him, he wondered, as he stared into her playfully dancing eyes—one that seemed very skilled at flirting (not that she'd been a total slouch in that area while they were together) and getting men to eat out of the palm of her hand. Clearly he still had a lot to learn about adult Rachel. "You want a song?"

She nodded, happy that he was relenting. "Yes."

"Well, I'll sing you a damn song," he told her.

"Yay!" she clapped her hands together excitedly and hopped up from his lap.

"You two," he pointed to his friends, "are coming with me. Now," he snapped before they could protest. The two men stood quickly and followed Puck from the table.

Kurt reappeared and cast a long look at the retreating sailors. "Friends of yours?" he asked drolly.

Rachel just grinned. "Noah and his two friends are going to sing."

"Fantastic," he replied, eyes rounding as he watched the stage. "Thanks for ditching me for my song by the way, you little hussy. I guess all the sex with a gorgeous sailor has shifted your priorities," he sniffed.

"Aw, I'm sorry, friend," Rachel told him, patting his hand across the table.

"Oh, honey, I'd ditch you in a second if the roles were reversed. No offense."

"None taken," she laughed. "Look, look—they're up next."

"_You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips_

_And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips_

_You're trying hard not to show it (baby), but baby, I know it_

_You've lost that lovin' feeling, oh that loving feeling_

_You've lost that lovin' feeling now it's gone, gone, gone"_

Rachel's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning as she watched Noah and his buddies work their way through the crowd similarly to how she had doing their best Tom Cruise in _Top Gun_ impersonation.

"I had a dream like this once," Kurt giggled, eyes wide as he watched the scene intently.

Noah's eyes fell to hers as he sang and she felt the familiar sensation of heat sparking to life low in her belly. And when he reached the table and dropped to his knees to sing before her, she blushed ten different shades of red while Kurt fanned his own face with his hand.

"_Baby, baby I get down on my knees for you_

_If you would only love me like you used to do_

_We had a love, a love, a love you don't find every day_

_So don't, don't, don't let it slip away_

_Bring back that lovin' feeling_

_Whoa that lovin' feeling_

_Bring back that lovin' feeling, now it's gone, gone, gone_

_And I can't go on, no oh oh"_

The bar broke out into roaring applause once more and Puck handed Davies the microphone before getting to his feet and sweeping Rachel up into a passionate kiss.

As the crowd erupted around them again, she felt his searing kiss from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. He pulled away, leaving her completely speechless.

"Happy now, Dimples?" he asked knowingly, smirking devilishly when she could only nod. It was a great feat to render Rachel Berry speechless.

The impish look in his eyes stoked the fire in her belly and she needed to get him alone and soon. She swallowed thickly and turned towards Kurt and Noah's friends. "I apologize for cutting tonight short, but we're leaving," she smiled. She met Puck's eyes and added "Now."

His grin was lightning fast and naughty. "You heard the lady. See you schmucks later," he said to Davies and Martinez. "Kurt," he nodded.

"Nice to meet you," she called hastily to the two men she'd just met. "Bye, Kurt! Love you, I'll call you." She grabbed Puck's hand and dragged him towards the exit.

* * *

Song credits: _The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss) _by Cher and _You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling_ by The Righteous Brothers


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone for reviewing. Your reviews make me smile and I am still amazed over the response to this little story. A special thanks to my girls for putting up with my crazy...you know who you are. :)

* * *

Once his hips stilled and the last wave of ecstasy ebbed through her, Rachel dropped to her tummy, the plush fibers of the living room rug cushioning her body. She turned her head towards him and smiled lazily as he plopped down next to her in a similar fashion, his breathing ragged. "You're evil," he rasped, making the smile stretch further across her face. "And I like it."

Rachel reached out and caressed the side of his face, enjoying the mischievous look dancing around in his hazel eyes. "This is a lot better than high school," she murmured softly.

His brows knit close together. "Yeah, I noticed you had some new moves—not going to pretend I like that someone else taught them to you," he grumbled.

The fact that he was jealous serenaded her innermost female desires and it both thrilled and shamed her. It also pissed her off. He'd left her, after all, not the other way around. She tried to brush those thoughts aside. "I actually was referring to the fact that we don't have to sneak around or worry about getting caught, Noah," she said shortly.

"Oh," he muttered sheepishly. "Sorry."

"You're an idiot," she sighed. She could practically see the sand slipping rapidly through the hourglass signaling a close to their weekend and they'd yet to really discuss anything important. It was very uncharacteristic of her, but here she was, unwilling to face the inevitable head on just yet. There was still time, but his stupid mouth was about to ruin everything.

Puck frowned, "I wasn't calling you a slu—" the word died in his mouth when her eyes narrowed dangerously and shot daggers in his direction. "Idiot—sounds about right."

"Ugh," she scoffed, quickly getting to her feet, muttering under her breath on the way to the kitchen. She jerked open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, drank deep. Noah Puckerman had a lot of goddamn nerve, she thought heatedly. She felt his presence behind her, and she kept her eyes focused on the contents of her refrigerator as she continued to sip her water. "You're a jerk."

"Most of the time," he retorted dryly. He reached past her into the fridge, grabbing bottle of water for himself.

She turned to face him. "Forgive me, _Noah Puckerman_, but I didn't see anything in your goodbye letter that said I was supposed to take a vow of celibacy in hopes that you might one day return to me," she snapped sarcastically.

"I know that—I'm—I don't know what else to say, except that I'm a guy and just the _thought_ of another guy's hands on you makes me want to rip him limb from limb and then burn him to death. Okay? Jesus Christ." He twisted off the cap and guzzled down the water, hoping to dislodge the foot he'd crammed in there. "I know I don't have any right or whatever to feel that way, but I can't help it."

"You're jealous?" she asked, arching a perfectly sculpted brow. "Because I've had sex with other men." His wince was barely visible, but it hadn't gone unnoticed by her. "That's ludicrous."

"Fuck, I _know that_. I know it doesn't make any goddamn sense, Rach, but…"

"But what?" she asked, curious.

He looked down at her peering up at him, her brown eyes wondering. "You were my girl, alright," he said softly. "I fucked it all up, but I guess I just still feel like I have a claim on you. That's stupid, but there you go." The muscles in his jaw clenched as he held her gaze, unsure exactly what the look she was giving him meant. To his credit, he kept his eyes on hers and didn't let them wander down the length of her naked body that was illuminated by the light of the refrigerator. That would be wholly idiotic and she was already pissed enough.

_You were my girl, alright. _Rachel smiled softly in spite of herself and shook her head. "Like I said before—_idiot,_" she murmured. She closed the door, set her bottle of water on the counter and pulled his head down for a quick kiss. "There has to be something seriously wrong with my brain because that was, in a twisted way, very sweet." She gently patted the sides of his face.

He smirked at her, relieved, and let out the breath he'd been holding when he anticipated a lecture.

"Look, Noah, we've got a lot to talk about, but there's still time. Let's just go to bed."

Puck grinned. "To sleep?" he asked devilishly, making her chuckle and roll her eyes.

"Unless you can convince me otherwise," she offered flirtatiously.

He set his bottle on the counter next to hers and threw her over his shoulder as she squeaked, "Noah, what are you doing?"

"Accepting your challenge, Berry," he replied, smacking her ass lightly. He crossed the tiny apartment in a few long strides and carried her into her bedroom.

***

The next morning, Puck awoke to the sunlight streaming in through a gap in the drawn curtains and a peacefully sleeping Rachel curled against him, her small hand resting over his heart. He laid his hand over hers, lacing their fingers together and watched her sleep. She sighed quietly and snuggled closer to him, her warm breath tickling his shoulder. His heart did a strange little lurch when he realized just how right it felt to wake up next to her and his mind started envisioning things it really shouldn't. Future things. Things that made his skin hot and blotchy. So when she sighed out his name in her sleep and a little smile tugged at the corners of her lips, he figured it purely coincidental that his skin chose that exact moment to return to its normal color and temperature. He slipped out of bed, taking care not to wake her and headed for the shower.

After he showered and dressed for the day, he discovered her cocooned in the covers still fast asleep. His stomach grumbled and he decided to make them some breakfast. Upon surveying the contents of her refrigerator, he decided that there was nothing in there that was going to fill him up. He found a piece of paper on her desk and quickly scrawled a note and placed it on the pillow next to her. He dropped a kiss to her forehead and left.

Rachel stirred and stretched, feeling more rested than she had in ages. Her eyes slowly blinked open and she frowned when she realized she was alone. She quickly discovered the note on the pillow and read.

_Rach,_

_Wanted to make you breakfast, but your fridge only had chick food. Ran out to get more suitable options. Be back soon._

_-N_

_P.S. Borrowed your keys._

She smiled and read the note again. Noah Puckerman had managed to surprise her once more. He could be completely sweet when he wanted to be—something he rarely showed to others as he didn't want to appear "soft." A giddy little thrill coursed through her, though it was quickly doused by the reality that he was leaving tomorrow. "No, Rachel," she admonished within the walls of her bedroom. They needed this last day together and then they would put all of their cards on the table and figure out where they stood tonight. She also told herself while en route to the shower that if at the end of the weekend things went back to the way they were before Friday night, she'd be content with their perfect lost weekend together. So you can imagine her great surprise that the thought alone forced her to blink back tears.

The smells coming from her kitchen were mouth-watering and heavenly. Breakfast for her usually consisted of fruit and yogurt, but every now and again she'd indulge in a hearty meal. By the scent of bacon alone, she knew Noah was fixing the heartiest of meals. It was good that neither of them were kosher, she mused. She walked out of her bedroom and found him cooking expertly away in the kitchen like he'd cooked there hundreds of times before. Rachel wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed her cheek against the hard planes of his back. "Smells delicious."

Noah turned and grinned down at her. "Thanks." He cupped her chin in one hand and drew her lips to his. "So do you," he said lowly, burying his nose in her hair, making her giggle.

"This is quite a spread," she said, admiring the pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast on the counter.

"I'm starving and whatever you're calling food in there wasn't going to cut it," he gestured towards the refrigerator.

"It's healthy," she pouted. "But I can't wait to eat this. Everything looks so good, thank you." She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss on the underside of his jaw. The scruff was hard against her lips and she lingered for a moment, inhaling the scent of him.

His free hand tangled in her hair as she nuzzled against him. "You're welcome."

Rachel unwrapped herself from him and went to get plates out. "Are you up for some sightseeing today?"

"Sure," he said with a lopsided grin.

"Is there anything in particular you want to see?" she asked over her shoulder.

Puck shrugged. "I don't care where we go. I just want to spend my last day here with you." The blush swept prettily across her cheeks and she flashed one of her thousand-watt smiles at him, making his heart do funny things again. _Dammit._

***

The late May sunshine was warm on his face as they walked the cobblestone streets of South Street Seaport. Rachel's giggle turned into a full-blown laugh as the punch line to his dirty joke fully sank in. "You're so bad," she told him, then grabbed his hand, twining their fingers together. He gave her an amused smirk and squeezed her hand. "Cool place," he said, nodding towards the vintage ships in the harbor.

Rachel smiled, "I thought you might enjoy coming here since you've got a vested interest in seafaring vessels now."

Puck's lips twitched into a wry grin and he shook his head. "Dimples, you and all your words."

"Oh, shut up," she retorted playfully. "You'll miss me and my words and you know it." Once the words were out of her mouth, she felt like an idiot for bringing it up. "Sorry," she mumbled, and averted her eyes.

"It's okay," he said quietly. "I will you know." He watched her eyes lift to his. "Miss you." The time had come to rip off the proverbial band-aid.

She blinked a few times, feeling the familiar sting of imminent tears. "Noah…" she whispered.

"Rach, we can't keep avoiding this conversation," he said earnestly. He looked around for anywhere less crowded. "Let's go over there," he suggested, holding firm to her hand as he led her away from the heart of the crowd. They found an unoccupied bench on the pier and sat. He ran a hand over his face looking for the right words to say.

"I'll miss you, too," she spoke softly, eyes cast down to the ground. The silence that wafted between them was drowned out by the passersby. She cleared her throat and turned towards him. "So we'll both miss each other…what does that mean?"

"I don't know," he told her honestly.

"Is it _thanks for all the sex this weekend maybe see ya next time I'm in port_ or—"

"No," he clipped. "Stop it. That's not what this weekend was. It was…" he trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"It was what, Noah? You have to give me something to go off of here."

There were times in life where you could play it safe and spend the rest of it wondering _what if,_ or you could do the stupid thing and throw yourself off a cliff and in the off chance that you survived, you'd have one hell of a good story to tell. To Puck, this was one of those moments. He was tired of wondering _what if_. "This weekend was _amazing_, Rachel. I can sit here and lie to myself and to you and say that I didn't have any intention of coming to see you while I was here, but you're the whole reason I came to New York."

"Noah—"

"Please, just let me get this out before I lose my nerve." When she nodded, he took a breath and continued. "Look, I've had _a lot_ of time to think over the past four years, especially the two I spent deployed. I thought about you more than anything—wondering how you were, what you were doing, if you missed me—I thought about how much we loved each other in high school and how we were way too young to be in love like that."

"What does that mean?" she interrupted, her lips pressed tightly together.

He worried his bottom lip between his teeth then continued. "It felt like the forever kind and it scared the shit out of me," he answered honestly.

"Is that why you really left?" She felt the tears draw closer and closer to the surface until they finally blurred her vision.

Puck regarded her for a moment, noting the tears swimming in her eyes. "Yes," he answered honestly, grabbing hold of her arm to keep her from standing up. "I'm not done." She stilled and swiped at the tears that had fallen. "I could absolutely see our future back then had we stayed together and as hard as I wished for it to end differently, you were never going to go where you were supposed to with me in your life dragging you down. You always walked away."

"So you walked away first before I could hypothetically leave you?" she sniffled, feeling foolish for crying and angry over the hurt she still felt after all this time. "We could have made it work."

"Rachel, how many people do you know that have stayed with their high school sweetheart and had it work out?" When she said nothing, he continued. "I knew if we were ever going to have a chance to be together like that I needed to grow up and do something with my life first and you needed to do your own thing, too."

"I don't mean to sound redundant, Noah, but what are you saying?" she asked, her heart racing frantically.

"I lived without you in my life once before, I don't want to anymore. After this weekend, spending time with you again, I'm not sure I even could."

Rachel gulped in a breath, her eyes wide, searching his for clarity. "You're being so cryptic and it's driving me insane."

His lips twisted into a smirk. "If you're up for it, I want to see where this thing between us goes."

Rachel's mind was reeling. "But you're leaving tomorrow!" she cried.

Puck sighed heavily. "Yeah, that sort of complicates things." He turned his head away from her and stared out at the water. Her silence was deafening. He'd just said more words at one time than he probably ever had, and he'd put everything out on the line; and she stayed _silent_? He guessed he wouldn't have a good story to tell after all. "Would you please say something?"

"Timeout," she said finally.

His head slowly turned back to hers. "What?"

The baffled look on his face was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. She cupped his face gently in her hands and kissed him soundly, feeling his momentary hesitation before he kissed her back. "I want a timeout from this conversation," she said when she pulled back. His eyes shot her a look of frustration, perhaps even one of anger, so she tightened her hands against his face to keep him from getting up and taking off. "Hey," she said softly. "I need to process everything, okay? And we still have half a day and one night left of our lost weekend."

He quirked a single brow. "Lost weekend?"

"That's what I've been calling it," she smiled at him, feeling her cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. "Let's enjoy the rest of the day and we can continue this later."

"I don't want to throw your own words back in your face, Rachel, but you have _got _to give me something to go on."

She pressed her lips quickly against his, waited until he opened his eyes again. "I'm up for it." She saw the smile in his eyes. "But there's so much to figure out and to talk about still—so that's why I'm calling a timeout. Okay?"

He whooshed out a relieved breath. "Shoulda led with that, Dimples," he grinned. "Fine, timeout it is."

Rachel beamed brightly, happy that things were going her way. "Want some ice cream?"

"Ice cream?" Her about face had his head spinning.

"Yes, there's a Tasti D-Lite over there. I'll go get us some."

Puck stood up. "I got it. Save our bench. What kind do you want?"

"Pineapple cheesecake in a waffle cone," she told him.

"Okay, I'll be right back." He shook his head as he walked away. _Timeout_.

Rachel whipped out her cell phone and called Kurt.

"Hey, dollface!" he greeted brightly. "How's everything with that sexy mother Pucker? Oh, b the w I'm at Barney's right now and I found _the most_ amazing seersucker suit."

"Kurt—"

"Can't you just picture me in the Hamptons at some fabulous party rocking that? I mean really."

"Kurt!" she snapped, trying to gain his attention.

"Too cute for words. It's also über expensive, like ridiculously so, but it's so worth it. Add a little bowtie to the mix and—"

"KURT!" she yelled.

"Geez, why so testy? I thought you and Puck were all _bow chicka wow wow_ this weekend."

"Noah ran to get ice cream and I only have a second. I need the world's biggest favor from you."

"First you have to tell me it's okay to drop this _insane_ amount of money on the seersucker."

Rachel rolled her eyes, but smiled at her friend's hopeful tone. "It's more than fine, Kurt. You'll be so fierce in seersucker and a bowtie is an absolute must. You'll be the most fabulously fashionable gay to ever set foot in the tri-state area."

"Very well, what is this favor you need?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews! I'm pretty sure that I replied to everyone, but thanks to you anonymous readers as well. I continue to be humbled by the response to this story. Many apologies for taking so darn long to get this next chapter out. Only one more after this one. I'm kinda sad that it's winding down, but it had to happen eventually. A special thanks to my girls for reading and helping along the way. I couldn't do it without you. :) Also, I own nothing of Glee or the song used in this chapter. I own my sarcasm and sparkling wit though. Heh.

* * *

After a long day of sightseeing, the pair returned to her building and climbed the four required flights of stairs to Rachel's apartment. She rounded the corner to keep going. "Uh, Rach, your apartment is right here," Puck drawled, shifting the bag of Chinese takeout in his hands.

Rachel stopped, smiled. "I know that, silly. I thought we could eat on the roof. It's a nice night—good view." She turned and began her ascent.

"I'll say," he said lowly as his eyes lit on her long legs and perfect ass.

She glanced over her shoulder, noted his focal point. "You're incorrigible, Noah."

"I don't know what that means," he deadpanned, smirking up at her.

Rachel chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Oh, you do, too. Come on, Puckerman, I'm hungry," she ordered.

She hurried up the remaining flights of stairs, Puck hot on her heels, hoping that Kurt was able to pull off her request. Turning her key into the lock, she slowly opened the door and was not disappointed in her best friend's efforts. He'd strung several strands of white twinkle lights overhead and set up a romantic, candle-lit table for two. Soft music wafted through the air as she stepped out onto the rooftop deck and she smiled at her friend's handiwork. It exceeded her expectations; it was perfect.

"What's this?" he asked, a smile lighting his tone as he stepped out behind her. He looked around the rooftop and smirked at the classic Rachel Berry romantic atmosphere. "Berry, are you trying to seduce me?" he asked mischievously, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You do know that I'm a sure thing, right?"

Rachel shivered at the feel of his hot breath on her neck. It would be so easy, she thought. So easy to turn and drag him back down to her apartment and divest each other of their clothing, to devour each other; but tonight wasn't just about that. Tonight was about a little romance, spending their last night together. They still had talking to do, but she was intent on waiting and milking every last enjoyable moment left. She leaned back against him, smiled. "I know. Why don't you humor me anyway?"

He brushed the hair back off her neck and pressed his lips to the curve of her jaw, inhaled the sweet scent of her. "Do I have a choice?" he murmured against her skin.

"No," she smiled crookedly and wriggled free from his embrace, snagging the bag of Chinese food from his hand. "Let's eat!" She took a seat at the little table and pulled the white containers and chopsticks out of the paper sack.

Puck took a seat across from her and took one of the containers from her. "How'd you pull this off, Rach?" he asked, digging his chopsticks into the orange chicken.

"Oh, you know, I had a little fairy help me," she replied breezily.

"Does Kurt appreciate being called a fairy?" He grinned wickedly when she laughed.

"Shut up, Noah," she said drolly, reaching across the table to take back the carton of chicken.

Puck popped open a couple of beers, handing one to Rachel. "Cheers," he said, angling his bottle towards hers across the table.

"What are we toasting?" she asked playfully.

Looking at her over the candlelight, he paused, trying to find the right words, then he shrugged and said "You pick."

Rachel considered him across the table. "How about second chances and new beginnings?"

"I'll drink to that," he replied and clinked his bottle against hers.

Rachel always had better words than he did.

After dinner, they were leaning against the railing looking out over the city while Rachel animatedly pointed out various buildings and locations that could be seen from her rooftop. She also drew attention to the more interesting residents across the way that she and Kurt often had fun spying on. He teased her about turning into a Peeping Tom.

Puck watched her face light up as she talked, her love for the city abundantly clear. He knew, once more, that he'd done the right thing all those years ago by leaving so that she could carve out a life for herself and realize the success she was born to achieve.

She slanted a sideways glance at him and found him watching her with an amused expression. "I'm rambling again," she blushed, looking down at the ground. "Sorry."

"Why?" He draped an arm casually around her shoulders and drew her against him. "I like hearing you talk. You're happy here."

Rachel nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around his back and snuggling in closer. "I really am."

"Good."

"Oh, look," Rachel pointed to an apartment across the street where an elderly couple danced in their living room. "Those two are my favorite."

"The old people?"

"Noah," she poked him in the side. "I think they're sweet. They always dance together after dinner—like they are still madly in love even after all these years."

"How do you know they've been together for a lifetime? Maybe they are newlyweds, or engaging in some hot affair while their spouses are out playing bingo," he drawled sarcastically.

"Oh, hush," she chuckled. "Don't ruin the little fantasy I have in my head."

His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair as they leaned against one another, watching the elderly couple dance across the way to the tunes wafting out of the radio on her rooftop.

_If I could take you away  
Pretend I was queen  
What would you say  
Would you think I'm unreal  
'Cause everybody's got their way I should feel_

Rachel shifted ever so slightly when this particular song began playing, memories of a dance long ago swirling in her mind. He mumbled something against her hair that she couldn't discern. "What?" she whispered back.

"Do you remember this song?" he repeated.

She turned her head and looked up at him, nodding. "I can't believe you do," she said, incredulous.

A wicked smile flashed across his face. "I remember the way you looked in that white dress. Fuck, that thing was short. I really just wanted to see what was under it." He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "I also remember the way your face blushed a thousand shades of red when I told you to dance with me. But you tried to cover it up like you were annoyed instead."

"_Dance with me," he clipped, grabbing for her hand, a smirk on his lips._

"_Is that any way to ask a girl to dance?" she scoffed, trying in vain to tug her hand free as her face blushed hot._

"_It's how I ask," he retorted, pulling her close._

_She put her hand on his chest to stop his advance. "I'm here with Finn."_

"_Yeah, and at the moment he's dancing with Quinn. So for once in your life, Berry, just shut up and stop thinking so damn much. Dance with me."_

_Her heart beat a rapid tattoo in her chest as he drew her against his body in a shadowy corner of the high school gym. His hands splayed firmly on her hips possessing her completely for those few wonderful minutes._

_  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love, for real  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love for real  
Want to be your everything  
_

_Everything...  
_

Puck wrapped his hands around her waist and she slowly looped her arms around his neck. "What else do you remember?" she asked as they swayed absently on her rooftop, the bustling city a million miles away.

The corners of his mouth turned down as he looked down at her. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do, you just want to pretend like you don't."

She'd hit that one square on the head. His lips twitched into a smirk. "Your hair smelled like coconuts. And even though I was a total stud and had slept with a lot of girls, I remember feeling completely different while you were pressed against me—like none of them had ever mattered. I guess they didn't. No one ever mattered until you." A wistful smile fluttered across her features, and he grinned back at her. "I felt like such a fucking pussy for having _feelings_ and shit."

A breathy laugh escaped her lips. "Always so eloquent, Noah."

_  
Everything's falling, and I am included in that  
Oh, how I try to be just okay  
Yeah, but all I ever really wanted  
Was a little piece of you_

"What about you? It seems only fair for you to tell me what you remember, too."

"My palms were sweating and my heart was beating so hard that I was sure you would hear it and walk away laughing at me." Rachel looked down at her feet, remembering those feelings of that vulnerable and confused sixteen year old. "When you looked at me, it was as though you could read every thought in my head. It was unnerving and thrilling and it made my knees knock together. I—I remember feeling more in that one dance with you than I ever had dating and mooning over Finn."

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love, for real  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love for real

"God, I wanted to kick his ass when he came over after the song was done and you left with him."

Rachel grinned. "Why did you want to beat him up when I was the one that walked away?"

"Because I couldn't hit you," he teased. "You'd found a way to worm yourself into my life without even really trying and I didn't want you there, but I wanted you there, too. Damn witchy woman. And St. Finn got to take you home."

"It worked out eventually," she reminded him and he smirked, rubbing his thumb in circles on the small of her back. She'd broken things off with Finn the next week, realizing that it wasn't fair to begin a relationship with him when she had feelings for someone else—though it had taken them both longer to finally admit those feelings to one another.

_  
Everything will be alright  
If you just stay the night  
Please, sir, don't you walk away, don't you walk away, don't you walk away  
Please, sir, don't you walk away, don't you walk away, don't you walk away  
_

Here she was, standing in the dark, dancing to _this_ song with _this_ boy, with so many words on the tip of her tongue and feelings in her heart. Just like the last time.

_  
And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love, for real  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love for real_

She could make things different this time—would make things different this time. She wouldn't walk away with things left unsaid. Despite the lost years between them, she knew if she didn't grab this chance, she'd kick herself for the rest of her life. Rachel leaned back, peering up at him with wide eyes and blurted "Time in!"

Puck's brows drew together and he shook his head, confused. "What?"

"Time in," she repeated, another smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know how we make it work once you leave, Noah, but I want to try—really, really want to try. We can talk, e-mail, letters…we can write letters!" Her voice kept notching up and up as she prattled on.

"Wait, you want me to write you a letter?" he asked evenly, wanting again to shake his head at the crazy and beautiful woman in his arms who liked throwing him for loops.

She laughed and her eyes went wild and bright. "Not just _a_ letter, but lots of letters. We can get to know each other again through them. It's old fashioned—romantic."

"But Rach, we don't live in old fashioned times. We have these crazy inventions called the telephone…and e-mail."

"Don't make fun of me," she chided, slapping his arm. "We'll talk and e-mail, too, but we should write each other letters. It takes time and effort to craft a well-thought out letter. I think it would show each other that we both want to figure out where this goes and that we're both putting in the work since we can't see each other."

And everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love, for real  
Everybody's talking how I, can't, can't be your love  
But I want, want, want to be your love  
Want to be your love for real

I want to be your love, love, love

He stared at her, considering, as the song faded out and another faded in. She'd switched gears on him without warning, but then again, she'd always done that. It was one of the many things he'd loved (still loved?) about her, even though at times it made him want to wring her neck. Rachel was giving him another chance, telling him she wanted to make things work. If Rachel wanted some letters, he'd write her some fucking letters. Puck dropped his head and captured her lips with his, slowly savoring her mouth, letting their tongues tangle lazily. "Okay," he murmured when their mouths pulled apart, their foreheads resting together.

The big smile stretched slowly, lighting up her face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. But I don't want any lectures about how shitty my spelling is."

She rolled her eyes, but giggled. "You're so romantic, Noah," she said sarcastically.

"Shut up." He pressed his lips firmly to hers again, lifting her off the ground, feeling her legs come around his waist.

"You're really going to be gone for six months?" she asked breathlessly when she leaned back. She saw his Adam's apple bob when he swallowed thickly and nodded wordlessly. Her lips thinned and she nodded back, forcing to keep the sadness at bay. She unfolded her legs, dropped down to the ground and laced her fingers through his. "Come on," she whispered, leading him silently over to the door. There were more words that needed to be said, but the only way she could think to express them at the moment was by showing him.

There was an ache in her heart as she inserted the key on the final lock to her apartment with trembling hands. The sand in the hourglass was almost gone and once it was, he would be gone, too. She needed him to know how much she would miss him. He combed his fingers through her hair, brushing the lightly calloused tips over the nape of her neck, making her whole body shiver. Puck laid a hand over hers and helped her turn the key so they could step inside. She relocked the door behind them, feeling his lips pressing against her shoulder. He turned her around in his arms and captured her lips over and over again until her head went fuzzy.

"You're shaking," he murmured against her mouth, feeling her fingers curl into his arms in response. Puck tilted his head back slightly and arched a brow at the sad look on her face. He was pretty sure though, that if someone held a mirror up to his face, he might have a similar expression. Jesus, he was going to miss the hell out of her. "You okay?" His voice came out in a gravelly whisper. Rachel peered up through hooded, chocolate eyes and nodded slightly.

"I just—" she began, but her voice cracked, her eyes falling away from his. She focused on the soft material of his shirt beneath her fingertips. "Need you," she whispered so softly that he'd barely heard her.

He tipped her chin up with his index finger and waited until her eyes met his again. "Rachel," he murmured reverently, stroking the pad of his thumb across her cheek. He swallowed hard, words getting lost in his throat when her eyes swam and shut. This was their goodbye and it was hard for both of them.

She rose quickly to her tiptoes and planted her lips over his, the threat of tears blooming behind her tightly closed eyes. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms, dropping kisses along her hairline. Her blood thrummed excitedly as he cradled her, crossing her tiny apartment in a few unhurried strides. This was what she needed, she thought, what they both needed, as Puck nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and carried her over to the bed, setting her down gently. The mattress sank beneath their weight when he crawled on after her. Rachel shifted up to her knees and ran a hand slowly down his chest, feeling his heart beat under her touch.

Puck wrapped his wide hands around her waist and pulled her closer, their denim clad thighs bumping together in the process. Moonlight slanted over the middle of the bed, illuminating her face as she looked at him through the darkness. Her big brown eyes were warm and still a little sad when she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it up slowly. He raised his arms and helped when she could no longer reach. Her fingertips brushed a feather light path over the hard planes of his stomach and she pressed her lips against the dip in his collarbone. His eyes fell closed when her lips made contact with his skin and kissed a leisurely trail up towards his mouth.

He wanted the warmth of her skin pressed against him so he tugged the tank top over her head, discarding it haphazardly behind him. Long, silky chestnut strands spilled over her shoulders and flirted with the delicate swells of her breasts that seemed silver in the light of the moon. Puck stared at her for a beat before pulling her flush against him and fisting his hands in the dark sheet of hair. He kissed one corner of her mouth, then the other, feeling her breath sigh out around him as he laid his lips fully over hers again. She opened her mouth to him, the kiss growing more and more breathless as their tongues circled together.

Puck held a hand firmly at the small of her back and gently laid her back against the pillows. Rachel cupped the back of his head and captured his lips once more. Teeth nipped, tongues soothed, hands roamed, legs tangled as they rolled. She straddled his lap, feeling the evidence of his arousal straining through the denim barrier between them. He watched intently when her small hands reached between them and undid the buckle on his belt.

She unfastened his jeans and eased the zipper down, lightly raking her nails over the sensitive skin just above his boxers. He sucked in a breath and kneaded his fingers into her thighs. Rachel wriggled towards the foot of the bed, trying to tug off his jeans as she went. Struggling, she tried again and huffed out a frustrated breath. He chuckled and reached down to help her. "It's like a time warp in here," she said, laughing suddenly. "I'm the clumsy seventeen year old virgin who can't get your pants off." Her laughter floated through the air and loosened up the knot in her chest. She flopped down beside him on the bed and glanced over to find him smirking at her. "I sure know how to ruin the moment," she mumbled, embarrassed.

He chuckled again then kissed her cheek. "I dig your crazy, Berry," he told her, making her smile crookedly. He sat up and kicked his jeans off onto the floor. Turning, he helped Rachel tug her own jeans off then rolled on top of her, smoothing the hair out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something else, but he pressed his finger against her lips, silencing her. "No more talking," he rasped, determined to get back to the moment. She smiled and kissed the tip of his finger, wrapping a leg about his hips. He smiled back and dropped his lips to hers.

Rachel sighed when his skilled lips moved over her jaw and feasted on the sensitive spot below her ear. His hands deftly moved behind her and unclasped her bra, baring her breasts to him. She shivered again when he bowed his head and drew a nipple into his mouth. She cupped the back of his head, holding him there as he worshipped.

Puck kissed the valley between her breasts and trailed down, feeling her arch and writhe beneath him. She murmured his name when he dipped his tongue into her belly button, moaned it when he traveled down even further to strip her panties off and use his mouth on her.

She sucked in a breath when his tongue flicked against her, dug her heels into the mattress as everything inside her tightened. She gasped when the pressure spiked and released; trembled as heat spread throughout her entire body. "Noah," she whimpered, reaching for him.

Her skin was hot and glistened in the moonlight when he looked at her; her lips were parted, trying to catch her breath. She was gorgeous. And she was his. He rolled onto his back, pulling her astride him. Her dark hair was mussed and it curtained her face. She reached for him again, looking down with warm, dreamy eyes. He sat up and crushed his lips to hers, inhaling sharply when she shifted and wrapped her long legs around his waist. She sank down over him then, joining their bodies together. "God," he groaned, feeling how hot and tight she was around him. He held onto her while she rocked her hips tortuously slow against his.

Rachel saw his eyes closed tightly and she could feel how tense he was. "Okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he rasped, feeling the heat start to bundle in his stomach. He opened his eyes and the loving look in hers made his breath catch.

Rachel kissed him softly, pressing her chest against his, longing to be as close as possible to him while she writhed slowly. She buried her nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent of him, committing it to memory.

Another wave rose higher and higher and came crashing down around her. She went rigid, her mouth round, as the pleasure coursed through every nerve ending she possessed. Her mind was still foggy when he flipped her onto her back and hiked her legs high up on his hips. And plunged.

Puck pounded into her over and over. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and his legs burned from exertion, but he continued, wanting to draw every ounce of pleasure he could from both of them. His movements bordered on desperate as he pressed himself even deeper inside, hearing the high-pitched moan escape her lips.

She drew her knees up higher, felt him go even deeper. Her eyes rolled back in response and her hands reached around seeking purchase on his back that was slick with sweat. "_Yes,_" she hissed when he hit just the right spot.

He looked down at her then. Seeing her eyes scrunched tight, bottom lip caught between her teeth, her breasts bouncing in time with his thrusts did him in and shoved him over the edge. "Rach." He thrust against her again and his whole body went stiff as he spent himself inside her. He sagged limply against her and buried his face in her hair. "God," he panted, his heart hammering against his ribcage.

Rachel ran a hand gently over the back of his head as she tried to catch her own breath. She could feel his heart beating wildly against hers. She yawned and stretched beneath him, completely sated.

Afraid that he was crushing her, he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, settling her against his side. She snuggled closer, resting her head against his chest. His fingers twisted around a long dark curl, feeling the sleepiness creep over him, too. "I'm really going to miss this," he said deeply.

"Me, too," she sighed.

"I wasn't just talking about the sex," he said, clarifying. He looked down at her and tipped her head up.

Rachel smiled, tears swimming in her eyes again. "I know."

* * *

Song: "Be, Be your Love" by Rachel Yamagata


End file.
